Hobbyhorse



I Feb. 25, 1941. H. 1.. MCKENZIE I HOBBYHORSE Filed Jan. 10, 1939 Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOBBYHORSE Harold L. McKenzie, Detroit, Mich. Application January 10, 1939, Serial No. 250,082

4 Claims. My present invention relates to toys and more particularly to a hobbyhorse.

An object of my invention resides in a hobbyhorse that may be ridden in the usual manner and that is capable of coming to a sudden stop at the will of the rider.

Another object of my invention resides in the provision of means whereby the head .of the hobbyhorse may .be pulled backwards causing the hobbyhorse to come to a sudden stop.

Another object of my invention is a toy that is capable of being ridden by a child and one that the child can rock backward and forward, and in his playful manner pull back on the horses head saying Whoa bringing the toy to a stop simulating a horse rearing on its hind legs.

Another object of my invention is a toy that is strong and sturdy, simple and economical to manufacture.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the novel hobbyhorse in normal position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing the hobbyhorse in its rearing or stop position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and showing by means of the dotted lines the stop position of the hobbyhorse.

The novel hobbyhorse of the present invention comprises a pair of parallelly spaced runners or rockers I' and 2, having mounted thereon a seat 3 and having associated therewith a back support 4, and a pivotally mounted lever element 5 forwardly positioned of the seat element.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. l, runners I and 2 are arcuately shaped and have supporting or reinforcing runners 8 and 9 which preferably extend only partially the length of runners I and 2, but if desired may conform tothe shape of runners I and 2.

Seat 3 is securably mounted on runners I and 2 by means of a plurality of screws I3, and is preferably placed in the center of runners I and 2. Seat 3 also serves as a spacing means for the runners and has the front end notched as at I4, the purpose of which. will be more fully hereinafter described.

Positioned behind seat 3 is a back rest 4 which serves a dual purpose. One purpose is to form a rest for the back of the rider of the hobbyhorse. The other purpose is to give added support to the spacing of the runners I and 2. As can more clearly be seen in Figs. 3 and 4 back rest 4 has a lower portion 4 which extends beneath seat 3 and serves to give support to the spacing of runners I and 2.

A pair of blocks I6 and I1 and a pair of blocks I6 and H are positioned beneath seat 3 and on runners I and 2 respectively. To these blocks the extension of back rest 4 is securably fastened by means of screws.

Lever element 5 has its upper or head portion 6 shaped to correspond-to the shape of an animals head as in the present case that of a horse, or it can be so shaped torepresent any animal desired such as a dog, duck, etc. The lower portion of lever 5 is enlarged and is joined to the head portion by means of a neck portion. The length of enlarged lower end I I as can be best seen in Fig. 4 extends approximately lengthwise to the midsection of the hobbyhorse. The bottom of section II conforms to the shape of the lower part of runners I and 2.

Lever element 5 is pivotally positioned between runners I and 2 by means of a round bar I which extends through and outwardly of runners I and 2 and which also acts as a foot support. To aid in the sturdiness of the hobbyhorse spacer elements I8 are interposed on each side of lever ele-- ment 5. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the neck portion of lever 5 extends partially into notched section I4 of seat 3.

A handle-or grip element I2 extends through the head 6.

In the operation or use of this novel hobbyhorse the child or rider will sit on the seat 3 and will normally grasp the grip or handle I2 and will place the feet on round bar 1. In this normal position the rider may rock the hobbyhorse with a forward and backward motion of the body.

In order to quickly stop the hobbyhorse the rider needs simply to pull backward on the head of the hobbyhorse in a manner that is done when riding a real horse, instead of in the ordinary way of stopping a hobbyhorse by placing the feet on the floor or ground.

When the head 6 of the hobbyhorse is pulled back the element 5 assumes the position shown in Fig. 2 and by the dotted lines of Fig. 4. In this position the front end of the hobbyhorse is raised similar to a rearing horse, and the hobbyhorse is prevented from rocking. In the backward position the flattened tip I9 of lever 5 is even with a rearward part 20 on the runners,

and in this, manner prevents the rocking of the hobbyhorse. The backward movement of lever 5 is limited by the depth of notch I4 in seat 3.

In this manner it is seen that the hobbyhorse is capable of coming to a sudden stop by merely pulling on the head of the hobbyhorse.

To again rock the hobbyhorse the head 6 is merely pushed forward.

I claim:

1. In a hobbyhorse, a set of rocking members, a seat attached thereto and spacing said rocking members a round bar member extending through said rocking members, a lever member pivotally mounted on said round bar member and between said rocking members and positioned at the forward end thereof, said lever member normally being partly beneath said seat member and above the bottom surfaces of said rocking members, means for extending said lever member beneath the bottom surface of said rocking members.

2. In a hobbyhorse of the class described comprising a pair of spaced rocker members, a seat positioned on said rocker members and a lever element pivotally positioned between said rocker members adjacent the forward ends thereof and normally above the bottom surfaces of said rocker members, means to stop the rocking motion of the hobbyhorse and to raise the front end thereof, said means comprising said lever which when pulled backward protrudes beneath the bottom surfaces of said runners.

3. In a toy comprising a pair of spaced rockers, a seat mounted on said rockers and a lever element having an animal like head portion pivotally positioned between said rockers, said lever element normally positioned above the bottom surfaces of said rockers, means to suddenly arrest the rocking motion of said toy when in use, said means comprising said lever element which is adapted to protrude beneath said rockers preventing rocking motion of the toy.

4. In a device of the class described, a pair of curved runners, a seat element fastened to and. spacing said runners apart, a lever element pivotallyimounted between said runners and adjacent the front end of said runners, said lever element extending above said runners and having an enlarged lower end, a portion of which coincides with the lower surfaces of said runners, and saidlever element adapted to be swung beneath said runners raising the front end of said device.

HAROLD L. MCKENZIE. 

